The invention pertains to the field of multimedia call centers. More particularly, the invention pertains to an integrated audio and video system in an automatic call distribution (ACD) environment that forms a xe2x80x9cWork Blending Engine.xe2x80x9d
A call center is a group of employees (agents) of a business or organization who serve customers, using telephone, facsimile, e-mail, the Internet, or remote video links to provide more convenient services such as sales, service, billing, or reservations. Today""s audio call centers are highly effective and efficient organizations that handle potentially thousands of calls an hour. The audio call center work group is carefully managed through the use of specialized skill assignments to agents, advanced call routing algorithms, and comprehensive tracking of customer call history and related agent activity. All of the power of the traditional call center can be extended to incorporate the addition of multimedia call center agents as well as a new channel to provide for customers to reach these agents. In this context, the term multimedia refers to the ability to have call center agents interact with customers through an audio/video and data collaboration interface.
Multimedia video call centers prior to this invention have been limited to point to point applications where one end consists of a video kiosk and the other end consists of a video agent. Other multimedia video call centers provide audio calling to an agent with a video call back to the customer. In these configurations the shortcomings are the inability to conference others in the call and/or the inability to transfer the call after connection has been established.
Briefly stated, a Video Multimedia Call Center (VMMCC) with multipoint access through a PBX (private branch exchange, also known as a switchboard) within an ACD (automatic call distribution) environment has both audio and video capabilities. The VMMCC extends traditional call center capabilities into the video and collaborative Data domain. An organization using the VMMCC is able to provide a more personal and feature rich interface for both their customer service representatives and their end customers. Call center agents are able to communicate visually with customers at any location where the organization supports a customer access endpoint. The agent and the customer have the added benefit of sharing data applications which provides the customer with a level of empowerment and understanding of the organization""s operation that cannot be appreciated over a standard audio interface. Customers are able to see how their information is truly being represented by the agent. More complex transactions such as mortgage/loan origination interviews, customer help lines, and others are easier for the customer to understand with the ability to see the information unfolding. Errors in information collection are more readily identified through share applications than in traditional audio call centers, where voice is the only communications method utilized.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a video multimedia call center includes receiving means for receiving at least one external call from a caller, the at least one external call including at least one of an audio component and a video component; automatic call distribution means, associated with the receiving means, for routing the at least one external call to a multimedia agent unit; and integration means for integrating the at least one of the audio and video component of the at least one external call at the multimedia agent unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for agents to interact with customers through an audio/video and data collaboration interface includes the steps of receiving at least one external call from a caller, the at least one external call including at least one of an audio component and a video component; routing the at least one external call to a multimedia agent unit; and integrating the at least one of the audio and video component of the at least one external call at the multimedia agent unit.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a video multimedia call center includes a private branch exchange for receiving at least one external call from a caller, the at least one external call including at least one of an audio component and a video component; an automatic call distribution center, associated with the private branch exchange, for routing the at least one external call to a multimedia agent unit; and a video call module for integrating the at least one of an audio and a video component of the at least one external call at the multimedia agent unit.